You would have thought I was killing them all!

[Denninmi]

By the sounds coming from my garage last night just at dusk! What a bunch of upset poultry and waterfowl!

I have 6 Isa Brown pullets, 5 Rouens, and 6 Calico Sweetgrass/Royal Palm turkey poults all 5 1/2 weeks old in big brooder pens out there.

Last night I decided it was time to "pull the plug" on their all night lighting. It had been just for light, no longer for heat, since I switched the bulbs from incandescent to CFC bulbs almost 10 days ago. I thought it was the perfect time since the low last night was only going down to 76 due to the heatwave.

Every single one of them started screaming and hollering the second I pulled the plug. I guess they have come to think of the light fixtures as a surrogate mom of some sort.

Anyway, they did calm down after a few minutes and, much to our mutual surprise, everyone was still alive this morning!

As I like to remind them -- it's hard to be a baby some days!

 

[kla37]

Mine would freak out when their brooders went into the shed and I'd turn off the shed light at night. I mean FREAK out. After a couple night they would only complain for a couple minutes. Just like a kid who doesn't want to go to bed, I just shut the door and walked away and ignored it!

 

[easttxchick]

Don't you love how dramatic they can be? You know, like when you stick your hands in the brooder box and they run like an ax murderer is after them?
That's a cute story.

 

[serena763]

Chickens are so dramatic! I know mine are!

 

[Denninmi]

I'm always telling all of my pets they have ABSOLUTELY no idea how good they have it (yet they constantly complain). They will always have food, water, shelter, treats, medical care if necessary within reason, and they will NEVER be eaten -- they are like pets. Some of the chickens I had in the past lived to be like 6 to 8 years old, despite the fact they no longer laid eggs. Yes, it's an old age home for chickens, I know, but I don't kill things.

 

[noodleroo]

I switched my bulb to a 'black light' bulb; less light but they could see. I turned it off after about 3 nights and they were just fine with it...

 

[medan]

removing the light will slow their growth

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
How so -- because they are no longer eating 24/7?

Actually, the ducks are enormous already, and the turkeys are growing really fast as the pullets.

As long as it's not a health issue, I guess it doesn't matter.

In fact, maybe I should try that myself -- unscrew the lightbulb in the fridge so I can't sneak a midnight snack when I have to put the dog out at night!

Couldn't hurt, I could stand to lose a few pounds these days.

 

[easttxchick]

I don't think that at 5 1/2 weeks no light is going to slow their growth-I think meat birds are the ones you leave a light on for 24-7 to keep them growing.
Besides, they should be at ambient temp at 5 1/2 weeks.

 

[SkyWarrior]

I keep a light on in the evenings to keep my chickens from going into complete chicken stupor. I want them to make noise (as well as the geese) if anything gets in my barn and comes after them. I probably should give them more darkness, but I worry a lot about them.

It's darker in the coop than where the lights are.